CrossCountry - CrossCountry Changes to Services - C

 

 

Starting in December 2008, a daily Nottingham to Bournemouth service was introduced. From December 2010, a number of services from Newcastle were extended from Reading to Southampton. From May 2011, a number of services were extended from Edinburgh to Glasgow to replace East Coast services.

 

By mid-2020, CrossCountry had considerably curtailed its services in response to the significant decline of passenger travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic. From 15 June 2020, both passengers and staff on public transport in England, including CrossCountry services, were required to wear face coverings while travelling, and that anyone failing to do so would be liable to be refused travel or fined.

 

 

While the franchise had been originally due to conclude on 31 March 2016, during August 2013, it was announced that it had been extended until December 2019. At one point, it had been expected that an ITT would be issued in October 2018 for the next franchise, however, during September 2018, it was announced that the competition had been cancelled so that the recommendations from a report into the franchise system could be incorporated.

 

In July 2019, the Direct Award was further extended by one year, moving the expiry date back to October 2020. During September 2020, it was announced that the emergency agreements with train operating companies introduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom were to be extended for 18 months, and that all passenger rail franchising in Great Britain was abandoned. In October 2020, the DfT confirmed that the franchise had been extended for three years, putting the finishing date back to 15 October 2023.